Method and apparatus for catalytic alkylation



S. T. HADDEN Filed Dec.

Oct. 951945.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CATALYTIC ALKYLATIoN f if? Patented Oct. 9, 1945 UNITED METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR CA'ITALYTIC ALKYLATION stun T. Hadden, Woodbury, N. J., assignor to Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Incorporated, a corporation o! New York v i i A Application December 13, 1944, Serial No. 568,940

4 claims. (ci. zen-683.4)

This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for conducting catalytic alkylation vof isoparafiins with oleilns in the presence of liquid hydrogen fluoride by dispersing a vapor mixture of the reactantsinto a body of the liquid catalyst according to the process disclosed and claimed in application Serial No. 481,430, filed `April l, 1943 by Arlie A. OKelly and Harry G. Doherty. l

According to the said prior copending application, marked advantages in catalytic alkylation of hydrocarbons are realized by injecting thereactant charge to the liquid catalyst as a vaporous mixture. This process involves some problems of commercial operation not encountered in connection with the previously known processes for conducting the reaction. -In particular, the improved process involves a heat load due to condensation of hydrocarbons in addition to the heat of reaction normally met. The improved results of vapor phase feed make .it well worth while to incur the added heat exchange burden boxes contacted by the highly corrosive hydrogen 'I'hese and other advantage-sare obtained byl inducing circulation ofcatalyst through the open the vapor phase charge through upwardly di-.

, rected orices at the bottom of the reaction zone.

'I'he nature of the invention will be more clearly understood from consideration of two preferred and it is a primary object of this invention to A provide amethod. and means for handlingthat heat load eiilciently. The invention also contemplates operations wherein g the vaporous charge is heated to a temperature above that of the liquid catalyst before being introduced to the reaction, zone as described in the copending application Serial No. 490,487, iiled June 11, 1943 by Arlie A. OKelly and Jacob R. Meadow.

The objects of the invention are obtainedby dispersing the vapor phase charge into the bottom of a conned reaction zone having open top and bottom ends in the nature of a vertical tube. The open top 0f the reaction zone lies in an enlarged settling zone in which hydrocarbons are separated from acid catalyst by gravity and from the bottom of which the latter is withdrawn to a cooling zone in a line oi' generally downward flow. The bottom of the cooling zone is in open communication with the bottom of the reaction zone, thus providing a cyclic free path for recirculation of acid catalyst. der to obtain adequate cooling of the reaction zone, it is necessary that `fairly largeamounts of catalyst be circulated through the coolingzone. Emcient heat exchangeinthe cooling zone embodiments thereof, illustrated by the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure l is an elevation' impartial section of a reactor embodying the principles of the invention; and l Figure 2 is an elevation in Apartial section of another suitable reactor structurefor practice of the invention.

Referring specifically to Figure l, a vapor phase, charge mixture of isoparamns and olens lis supplied by pipe I I to a vapor chamber I3 having a suitable valved drain line .|2. The upper surface of lthe vapor chamber I3 is defined by a plate Il having a number of small orifices to ad; .mit the charge to vertical reaction zone I5 which is illled with liquid hydrogen fluoride. The multiple jets of gas so admitted 'have an injector bubbles, and the dispersion of liquid to which the gas condenses, have a carrying effect that further acts to cause upward flow in the reaction zone I5. The velocity of circulation is still further augmented by a thermo-Siphon action that will appear as the description proceeds.

The'gopen upper end of reaction zone I5 lies in an enlarged settling zone indicated generallyvat I I in which the liquid dispersion from the reaction zone stratifies to provide an upper hydro-`- carbon layer and a lower acid layer. I'he bottom of settling zone I6 is provided with open ports to heat exchange tubes in a cooling zone 2| through which is circulated a suitable Cooling medium by means of inlet and outlet 23 and' 24.- The hydrogen fluoride is cooled in zone.2I

and, due to the resultant increase in specific gravity on cooling, it tends to displace the liquid in reaction zone I! and thus gives rise to the A thermo-Siphon effect mentioned above.

. stream of hydrogen fluoride may be withdrawn at port 25 for regeneration and the regenerated acid, together with such make-up acid as may be necessary, returned at 26.

Liquid hydrocarbons, containing the alkylateA product and unreacted hydrocarbons is removed from the reactor by pipe I9, the interface between hydrocarbon andvacid being indicated generally at I8. The hydrocarbon so withdrawn is handled in the conventional manner, being fractionated to yield unreacted hydrocarbons suitable for recycle, an alkylate of desired boiling range and a heavy fraction. The present invention is well suited evaporation of the charge in the cooling zone;

thus cooling the circulated acid and providing the `desired vapor for feed at pipe I I.

The embodiment of Figure 2 is very similar in operation to that of Figure l; the principal diilference being in that. cooling zone 2l is an element separate from the reactor proper receiving liquid hydrogen fluoride from settling zone I6 by' way of pipe 20 and returning cooled acid by pipe 22.

In a typical operation according to the present.

invention, a mixture of isobutane and butenes in the ratio of 'I to 1 is supplied at 212 F. and about 220 lbs.v per square inch gage `to liquid hydrogen iluoride maintained at 100 F. and 125 lbs.. per

square inch gage. 'I'he feed was made up of.

fresh feed supplied at 80 E and 220 lbs. pressure in liquid4 state which wasmixed with a recycled isobutane stream made up of uncondensed deiso- -butanizer overhead at 195F. and 230 lbs. rIfhe fresh feed is vaporized and then blended with the recycled vapor for superheating to the feed temperature. The following Table I shows the make-up of the total feed to the reactor in parts by volume per unit time.`

Table I Frh feed Recycle Total Isoblltane l, 259 2, 913 4, 172 Butenes 596 596 Normal butane.. 488 324 812 C; hydrocarbons 74 74 'I'he feed stream is admitted' through a plate having a large number of orices, for example 7460 orifices of 0.024 diameter. The feed stream has a temperature of about 195 F. after throttling j on admission to the vapor space below the plate and passing into the -body of acid. 'I'he recycled acid is cooled by indirect heat exchange with cooling water or other suitable medium `and is returned at a temperature suilicient to maintain the desired 100 F. in the reactor. Depending upon reactor design and conditions of operation assaeei affecting rate of acid circulation. the recycled acid should be cooled to a temperature between about 60 F.' and about 90 F. to give the desired temperature control. 'I'he nature and yield ,y of the alkylate obtained is indicated by Table II.

i. Ina process for alkylation of isoparatllns with olens in the presence of liquid hydrogen fluoride by dispersing a vapor mixture of iso- `parailln and .olefin into liquid hydrogen iluoride under alkylation conditions of temperature and pressure and separating liquid hydrocarbons from the dispersion so formed; the method of conducting said process with eilicient removal of heat from the reaction zone which comprises providing a cyclic path containing liquid hydrogen fluoride and adapted for free flow `of liquid hydrogen fluoride successively throughI a laterally confined vertical reaction zone, an enlarged settling zone open to the top of ysaid reaction zone and a cooling zone open to the bottom of said settling zone and to the bottom of said reaction zone, injecting said vapor mixture under pressure upwardly intov said hydrogen iluoride in the lower part of said reaction zone, removing hydrocarbons from the upper part of, said settling zone and abstracting heat from said hydrogen .fluoride in said cooling zone, wherebyA cyclic flow of hydrogen iiuoride in said cyclic path is induced by a com- -binationof jet, gas lift and thermo-Siphon effects. 2. 'I'he method of claim 1, characterized in that said isoparailln is isobutane and said olefin is butene. '3. Apparatus for catalytic alkylation comprising a vertical tubular reactor, a settler open to the top of said tubular reactor, a vertical heat exchanger open at the upper end to the bottom of said settler and open at the bottom end to the bottom of said reactor, means to circulate a cooling medium through said heat exchanger, a plurality of upwardly directed orifices at the bottom oi' said reactor, means to supply a vapor mixture to said orifices for upward injection into said reactor and an outlet'ior liquid hydrocarbons at th'e top of said settler. h l

4. The method of claim 1 characterized in that the alkylation reaction is conducted under conditions to evaporate Va. portion of the hydrogen fluoride and avoid ycondensation ofall of the isoparailin in excess of that which reacts with oleiln t0 form alkylate.

STUART T. 

